Scottish Opera completes its 2010/11 season in style with Verdi’s operatic blockbuster, Rigoletto.
WITH a strong principal cast supported by a male chorus of 23, 63 musicians and massively popular arias like La donne è mobile and Caro nome, this new production of Verdi’s epic tragedy will open at the Theatre Royal Glasgow on Wednesday 11 May.
Rigoletto is one of the most performed operas in the world, and with good reason. It is a powerful tale of innocence lost, vengeance found and the inevitability of fate – brought to life through a gripping combination of dark theatricality and sublime music.
Baritone Eddie Wade makes his dèbut in the title role; with Edgaras Montvidas returning to Scottish Opera as The Duke after charming audiences and critics in 2009’s The Elixir of Love; and Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Nadine Livingston – who has consistently won rave reviews in her principal roles for the company over the past 18 months – as Gilda.
Tobias Ringborg, familiar to Scottish audiences from the Company’s production of Così fan tutte in 2009, conducts while Matthew Richardson – responsible for bringing Zoe Strachan and Nick Fells’ Sublimation, as well as Ron Butlin and Lyell Cresswell’s The Money Man to the stage in the Company’s Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland in 2010 – directs.
The company is also giving a special performance of Rigoletto for readers of The Scottish Sun on Monday 9 May.
This will be the second year of the hugely successful audience development initiative, which saw a packed Theatre Royal for the first performance of Puccini’s La boheme last February, with the majority of attendees having never been to a Scottish Opera performance before.
Join Scottish Opera for Rigoletto Unwrapped – an hour long, free introduction to opera – on Friday 13 May (Theatre Royal Glasgow) and Wednesday 25 May (Edinburgh Festival Theatre).
Presented on an alternative night to performances, Unwrapped gives new audiences and interested opera attendees a fascinating chance to get a glimpse into each new production with singers and The Orchestra of Scottish Opera.
Alongside this, the company is also touring a free, 20-minute, pocket sized take on the full-scale production to public and private venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.
A Little Bit of Rigoletto unfolds with a series of colourful illustrations and is brought to life by a storyteller, a singer and two musicians.
Venue and performance information will be available from www.scottishopera.org.uk.
Rigoletto is sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Opening Night: Wednesday 11 May, Theatre Royal Glasgow
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
Theatre Royal Glasgow
Wed 11 May, Wed 18 May† and Sat 21 May, 7.15pm
Sun 15 May 4pm
Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 13 May 6pm
Festival Theatre Edinburgh
Tue 24 May, Thu 26 May and Sat 28 May*† 7.15pm
Rigoletto Unwrapped Wed 25 May 6pm
His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen
Thu 2 Jun and Sat 4 Jun*† 7.30pm
Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 3 Jun 6pm
Eden Court Inverness
Thu 9 Jun and Sat 11 Jun 7.15pm*†
Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 10 Jun 6pm
Running time approximately 2 hrs 40 Mins
* Pre-show talk
† Audio-described performance/TouchTour
ENDS
www.scottishopera.org.uk
For additional press details, images and interview requests, please contact:
Kerryn Hurley, press manager, 0141 242 0511, kerryn.hurley@scottishopera.org.uk
Emma York, press officer, 0141 242 0552, emma.york@scottishopera.org.uk
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Contact: Emma York
Phone: 01412420552
Email: emma.york@scottishopera.org.uk
Website: http://www.scottishopera.org.uk
